Aaron Lennon has once more become a first-team regular this season under David Unsworth and later Sam Allardyce.

Yannick Bolasie has made a welcome return after more than a year out through injury, while young duo Ademola Lookman and Nikola Vlasic are beginning to be given more senior opportunities under Allardyce.

Indeed, so blessed are the Blues that Kevin Mirallas was this month deemed surplus to requirements, following the departures of fellow wide men Gerard Deulofeu and Aiden McGeady last summer.

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Lennon is out of contract in the summer with no sign yet of agreeing a new deal.

Bolasie has gone above and beyond since his comeback and will surely have an inevitable drop-off sooner rather than later.

And there's no guarantee, as with any young talent, Lookman or Vlasic will become regular fixtures in the first team.

Hence, then, the interest in Walcott, who has fallen so far down the pecking order at Arsenal his Premier League contribution this season has been restricted to 49 minutes over five substitute appearances.

Walcott is approaching his 400 appearance for the Gunners, but such a mammoth number masks the reality he has made on average just 14 top-flight starts per campaign during his time at the Emirates.